Man faces charge that he torched own home

MEDINA — A 55-year-old Chippewa Lake man pleaded not guilty Monday to allegedly burning down his own home in December.

Robert C. Buck, who lived at 372 Craggy Creek Drive, was arrested June 17 and charged with aggravated arson, a first-degree felony punishable by up to 11 years in prison.

Robert Buck

According to reports, a neighbor alerted firefighters just after 8:30 a.m. Dec. 15 that the house was burning.

Lafayette Township Fire Chief Jeff Hall said Buck lived alone with a dog. Buck was injured in the fire and the dog died. The house was gutted and the roof collapsed. Hall estimated the damage at $200,000.

Buck was set for arraignment May 27, but it was delayed so he could hire an attorney, Frank Raso.

At Monday’s arraignment, Medina County Common Pleas Judge Christopher J. Collier scheduled Buck for an Aug. 12 trial and reduced Buck’s bond from $250,000 to $100,000.

Four others were arraigned Monday:

Mateo Ralios Delacruz

• An accused undocumented Guatemalan immigrant pleaded not guilty to causing the county’s first fatal car crash of the year.

Mateo Ralios Delacruz, 22, who police said was living in Fairlawn with family, appeared with Spanish translator John Shaklee and was scheduled for an Aug. 19 trial on charges of aggravated vehicular homicide, aggravated vehicular assault and receiving a stolen vehicle.

Ralios is accused of losing control of a stolen Ford Fusion while intoxicated and crashing into another vehicle on state Route 18 in June, injuring the other car’s driver and killing its passenger.

The victim was Chad Nelson, a 29-year-old Brunswick man and Army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

If convicted, Ralios could spend more than 17 years in prison.

County Prosecutor Dean Holman said Ralios could be deported, but only after any prison sentence is served.

Stacie R. Simon was arrested Sunday on two charges: manufacturing meth, a second-degree felony, and possessing chemicals to make meth, a third-degree felony.

If convicted, she could face up to 11 years in prison.

According to her May 23 indictment, Simon is accused of making meth in July of last year.

She is scheduled for an Aug. 12 trial and remains in the county jail on $50,000 bond.

William Osiek

• A 49-year-old Parma Heights man who turned himself in to sheriff’s deputies last week pleaded not guilty to stealing thousands of dollars in merchandise from a Liverpool Township warehouse.

William R. Osiek was scheduled for an Oct. 9 trial and attorney Yu Mi Kim-Reynolds was appointed to represent him.

Osiek is charged with theft, a fifth-degree felony punishable by up to a year in prison.

He’s accused of teaming up with Stephen C. Bugg, 44, of Elyria, to steal $62,000 in guitars and clothing from CPS Delivery Systems, where they worked. Bugg pleaded no contest in May to theft, a fourth-degree felony.

County Assistant Prosecutor Scott Salisbury said at Bugg’s change-of-plea hearing that he didn’t intend to pursue prison time for Bugg.

Nick Glunt primarily covers courts and crime in Medina County. He has been with The Gazette since September 2012 and also serves as the newspaper's web editor. Contact him at (330) 721-4048 or via email at nglunt@medina-gazette.com.